On Sunday, the 49ers' "game manager" was more of a game warden, controlling the wild beasts on the Green Bay Packers' defense and the wildly emotional fellows on his team.

Sure, it was the same Alex Smith we got to know last season, but even more efficient and effective. He outplayed the game's state-of-the-art quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, in the 49ers' 30-22 win.

It was a great victory on the road, although Smith has been treated much more harshly at home than on the road in his career, so what's 70,000 howling Packers fans to him?

The Great Rodgers threw more passes than Smith, 44 to 26, and each had two touchdown passes, but Smith won the quarterback-rating duel, 125.6 to 93.3.

If this is any indication of the way Smith and the 49ers' offense can handle the ball, it's going to get harder and harder to downplay the Old Game Manager's role in the team's success.

In a preseason USA Today rating of the league's starting quarterbacks, Smith was No. 17. If this was politics, he'd be considered a centrist, milquetoasting his way down the middle of the road, nobody's superstar.

On Sunday, though, he was the man in command of the offense that beat the team considered Most Likely to Win the Super Bowl.

Smith was so good that head coach Jim Harbaugh, Smith's No. 1 puffer-upper, seemed almost to hold back his praise, maybe so as not to put too much pressure on Smith and the team too early.

"Patient, all game," Harbaugh said in his signature shorthand. "Used his legs, his arm, used his mind, used his toughness. Really accurate ... Was really efficient, played a heck of a game."

Smith, too, dialed it back postgame, further proof that he and Harbaugh are ridiculously in sync, twin brothers of different mothers.

Smith was asked if this performance was an example of his new comfort level, the result of him having the same head coach and offensive coordinator as he had last year. He said with a smile, "You guys are the ones talking about it."

Then added: "No, it was a good start. It was by no means perfect today for any of us, especially our offense, myself included. Just things to get better on and continue to improve. But yeah, it was a good start. Win the opener, good start."

Blah blah blah.

It was a great start. Harbaugh, jumping off the postgame-interview riser, slapped columnist Tim Kawakami so hard on the back that Kawakami might be contacting Jim Schwartz's injury attorney.

Jerry Rice said recently that Harbaugh needs to take the diaper off Smith, let him be a man. Did that happen Sunday? Depends. (Pardon the pun.)

The 49ers were one of four teams last season that ran more than passed, and on Sunday, the run/pass ratio was 32/26. That's what they like.

But Smith was no dinker-dunker. His first three passes went for 39 yards, including a 20-yarder to Randy Moss, Moss' welcome e-to-the-49ers catch.

Really, if Smith didn't have all that weird baggage from his first six NFL seasons, people would be hailing him as a really good quarterback and leader.

Example of Smith's cool: He has thrown 185 passes in a row without an interception. There's a fine line between efficiency and swashbuckling, and Smith might have hopped onto the other side Sunday.

And as I mentioned, Smith took care of everyone. Last year, Vernon Davis, a man who yearns to contribute, was left out of the fun early, and it bothered him. On Sunday, he caught three passes, including a short touchdown that gave San Francisco a 23-7 lead.

Moss, that emotional time bomb, was welcomed quickly with a 20-yard pass on the 49ers' second possession. He caught the 49ers' first touchdown pass of the season, and had four receptions.

And you know how Moss supposedly dogs it when he's not the target? In the third quarter, Moss lined up left and ran a deep post, sucking the defense with him, while Davis lined up right and ran underneath, into the vacuum created by Moss' jet stream, hauling in a 29-yard pass.

But it's early, as Smith and Harbaugh seemed to be telling us, so don't get too giddy.

Appropriately, Smith, named one of the NFL's 15 best-dressed by GQ magazine, left Lambeau Field in understated attire: sloppy canvas shoes, nondescript pants, a blah polo shirt and his signature San Francisco Giants ball cap.

It's part of the stealth campaign. Harbaugh and Smith don't want attention. They'll take the wins and go quietly about their business. On Sunday, they might have blown their cover.

Boot for the books: The Niners' David Akers matches the NFL record for longest field goal.

Promising return: Randy Moss has a good 49ers debut. B9

QB comparison

A look at the performances of the 49ers' Alex Smith and the Packers' Aaron Rodgers on Sunday:

Att

Com

Yds

TD

Int

Smith

26

20

211

2

0

Rodgers

44

30

303

2

1

Rushing note: Smith had five carries for 13 yards. Rodgers had five carries for 27 yards.